Neon Colors
by whenjenn
Summary: He told her to call him, didn't he?
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Neon Colors  
**Pairing/Characters:** Puck/Quinn  
**Summary:** He told her to call her, didn't he?  
**Rating:** PG-13 (language)**  
****Spoiler:** Everything up to 1x10 Ballads.  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**AN:** It makes me happy to know that Glee inspires me to write.

As _Lean on Me_ came to an end, Quinn took a moment to just breathe. With everything that had been going on, she was surprised that she and her baby were still okay. She closed her eyes and let out a long, quiet sigh as if her burdens would leave too. Apparently it wasn't hushed enough because she felt someone briefly grab her hand, squeeze, and let go. She opened her eyes and was greeted with the sight of Puck a few feet away from her, talking to Santana. He glanced over, and as their eyes met, Quinn realized why that touch had felt so familiar. She gave him a small smile to which he nodded in response.

She sighed again. Puck was so confusing. Until recently, he had treated everyone except for her like crap, and now, he wasn't so mean to them, and to her, was really sweet. She just didn't understand her emotions anymore. Puck wasn't supposed to make her smile, make her swoon, make her want, make her feel good about herself, make her feel worthy, make her feel _loved_. Still he did all those things, even in his subtle _"Call me"_ when it seemed like he had stared right through her soul – her heart had beat faster, her eyes had teared up, her lips had formed a little secret smile. Just thinking about the look on his face made her smile. She shook her head and chanted to herself, _"Finn, Finn, Finn, Finn, Puck."_ She mentally berated herself once more, blaming her hormones – the damn pregnancy – before she was interrupted by Brittany carrying a cake. Apparently there _was_ a cake, much to the delight of Finn.

After the mini-party had ended, the Glee club slowly dispersed until it was just Quinn, Finn, Rachel, Puck, and Mr. Schuester left in the room. The four teenagers stood awkwardly in the room. Rachel looked like she was ready to pounce on Finn, Puck just stood staring at Quinn and Finn, Finn kept eating cake, and Quinn glared at Rachel. It was quite a sight. Finally, Rachel spoke up and started rambling to Finn about bowling. Quinn rolled her eyes and uselessly glowered at the two, missing the fact that Finn had just volunteered the both of them to go bowling with Rachel Berry. For Quinn, there were multiple things wrong with that action. One – She _despised_ bowling. Two – She _despised_ Rachel Berry. Three – She _despised_ Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson together. Still, Finn was her shelter and her ride, so she begrudgingly bent down to pick up her bag.

Wincing and struggling, she cursed her luck as the heavy bag reminded her of all the homework she had to do. Suddenly, she saw a hand appear, grabbing the bag and hoisting it up for her, a hand she wished she knew better. She straightened her back and reached for her bag, but Puck simply responded by slinging it over his shoulder and shrugging. Looking at the two lovebirds, disgusted, Quinn snapped a curt, "I'll be in the car," and stormed out the door, Puck following closely behind.

When they reached the car, Quinn turned around, features softening toward Puck. She bit her lip, wanting to speak but afraid. Sensing her hesitation, Puck instead changed his focus to Finn's extremely dirty car. Feeling randomly playful, Puck smirked and lifted his hand as if reaching to touch her, but he ended up going above her head to the car behind. With his finger, he scrawled a "STUD" followed by his phone number. Intrigued by his actions, Quinn tore her eyes from the smirk she loved so much and turned to watch. Seeing his boyish scrawl on the side of the car made her heart warm, and the numbers gave her an unexpected sense of security. She turned around once more to face Puck who looked down at her and actually smiled, making her heart melt.

The moment however, was ruined by Finn and Berry as they ran laughing out the school doors. Puck's face instantly darkened as he pulled away and sought out his pickup. Frowning, Quinn immediately missed the close proximity of their bodies and watched as Puck moved further and further away from her. _Damn, he looked so jumpable_. Quinn mentally recoiled in shock from her thoughts but couldn't think much about it as the two idiotic lovebirds made their way over. Impulse seized her as she quickly saved Puck's number into her phone and wiped away the writing, dirtying her hands. Staring at the dust on herself, Quinn found that she actually didn't care; she wasn't about to let Finn and Rachel see her and Puck's secret moment.

When Finn linked arms with Rachel, Quinn thought her day couldn't get any worse, but she found that she was greatly mistaken. Not only forgetting that he had a _pregnant_ girlfriend, Finn decided to give Rachel shotgun on their way to stupid bowling. Quinn hated her life.

At the bowling alley, Quinn sat annoyed in the chair as Rachel and Finn chose shoes and balls. She refused to participate in their ridiculous activities, and she swore that the vibrations of bowling balls hitting the floor were not good for the baby. Moreover, the alley had decided to get new lights – very bright neon lights. At times like these, she hated bright colors, and watching Finn and Rachel openly flirt in front of her was too much. She didn't even have the heart to bitch at Finn – her eyes hurt from glaring and the lights, her head hurt from the thuds of bowling balls, her stomach felt queasy from the oily pizza. She wanted to go home, not that she had one.

Quinn buried her hands in the thin pocket of her jacket, tracing the outline of her phone. _Her phone_. Hell, her service was going to be cut soon by her parents, but it wasn't yet. Smiling to herself, she browsed through her contacts until she landed on a certain Noah Puckerman. She hesitated to press the send button. The neon blue lights gleamed at her against the dark black of her phone as if daring fate. When they finally died out, she was still undecided. He did tell her to call him, but last time she had chosen to join the company of Puck…

Then she saw Finn and Rachel too close for her comfort. Giving them one last glance, she stood up and walked out the door, pressing the green send button.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck woke up to _This Is Why I'm Hot_ blasting from his phone. Groaning, he didn't recognize the unknown number and slowly answered with a grunted _"hello,_" only to be greeted with a timid but melodious "Puck?" It was Quinn. He never actually expected her to save his number, let alone call. Another "Puck?" came from the cell, and he realized he had never responded.

"Fabray. Quinn Fabray. Miss Quinn Fabray. For what reason do I owe this honor of your call?" Puck almost puked in his mouth. He was like a sappy boyfriend, and he was neither sappy nor her boyfriend. This girl drove him crazy. Still, when he was rewarded with the small laugh of Quinn, he vowed to be as cheesy as possible if it only meant he could hear her happiness.

Tuning into what she was saying, Puck just managed to catch the gist of what Quinn wanted. Without pausing, Puck threw on a pair of jeans, a clean T-shirt, and his letterman jacket. He grabbed his car keys and was out the door within forty-seven seconds of hanging up the call.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Quinn slid her phone shut as she wrapped the thin fabric closer to her body – Puck had better have heat in his truck. The call with him had went surprisingly well, with him agreeing to save her from "the hell where Satan replicates the sounds of a hundred elephants thudding around to the Electric Slide in a technicolor party" as he put it. She smiled again and barely acknowledged the fact that Puck had made her smile and laugh more times than Finn had ever done in their whole relationship.

Her thoughts were cut short as Puck's truck pulled in view. She bent down to pick up her bag, and a replay of earlier at Glee presented itself. Puck had gotten out of his car and gotten her bag which he placed in the space between the driver and passenger seats. Seeing him hold the truck door open for her, Quinn grinned and embraced the toasty air circulating in the truck. She warmed her hands by the heaters and rotated her body to face Puck when she heard the car door shut. Instead of seeing Puck sitting in front of the wheel though, she saw red and white.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

**AN:** I know it was short...TBC. please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer**: Nothing except the plot belongs to me.**  
AN**: Disregard the end of the Hairography episode (which made me slightly die inside). Remember, this story started the day of Glee's performance of "Lean on Me."  
_Used to be known with the penname of **yummy food**._

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

After observing her arms wrapped around her petite frame, Puck took it as a sign of vulnerability and chills, and because he wasn't completely oblivious to charming women, he took off his beloved letterman jacket for her and stuck it out for her to take. She lowered his arm, looked at him with a look of surprise and arched her eyebrow in the way he could never resist. This time though, he was determined and insisting, so he just shrugged his shoulders as nonchalantly as possible, smirking when she grabbed it a bit too quickly.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Quinn stared at the letterman jacket in her possession and bit the inside of her cheek to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She was holding Noah Puckerman's _letterman jacket_ – one of his most prized possessions that he let no one touch. She remembered the time when a freshman accidentally spilled one drop of soda on it last year; Puck had growled and thrown him into an open locker. Now he had actually offered it to her, and she was justifiably speechless. As she started to shiver again though, she hurriedly put it on, reveling in its warmth and his distinct cologne. Realizing what exactly she was doing, Quinn blushed, thankful for the shadows of the truck, and buckled her seat belt, giving Puck a quick nod to signify she was ready to go.

As Puck drove off, Quinn realized that she had no clue where they were going. She had simply asked him to pick her up and get her away from everything wrong in her life. Now Puck was driving to who knows what sketchy place, and she was a bit scared. She would have opened her mouth to voice her concern, but she found that she trusted Puck. He had never given her any real reason not to trust him, and the silence in the car was oddly comforting and relaxing. She leaned back deeper in the seat, and let her body rest.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck watched her closely from the corner of his eye as she slowly loosened up and drifted off to sleep. She looked so calm and small in his front seat, and as her hair fell over her eyes, it took every ounce of control he had in his body not to brush it aside and feel her silky warm skin under his fingertips. Instead, he focused on the bumpy road, trying to make the ride as smooth as possible for the sleeping girl.

After driving for a while, with his truck running low on gas, Puck decided it was time to drive toward a destination. He couldn't keep circling around Ohio just so she didn't wake when they arrived at the end of the drive. Finally decided, Puck continued to drive slowly, well under the speed limit. He chuckled to himself at the thought, who would have ever guessed he would be driving under the speed limit.

Stopped at a red light, Puck turned once more to observe Quinn and genuinely smiled. Seeing her engulfed in his letterman jacket looking so carefree was too much. He gently brushed aside a strand of hair, reveling in the satisfied feeling that coursed through his body.

The light turned green, and Puck went.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Quinn was vaguely conscious about everything happening around her but still sleeping. She noticed the car stop as a hand moved her hair away from her face. For that she was thankful since it was tickling her nose. The hand eventually left, and she found that she missed the slight warmth and pressure. As the car started again, she fell into a deeper sleep.

It was when the truck hit the curb that Quinn stirred. She hazily heard the sound of shifting gears and the engine dying. She struggled to open her eyes, but when she heard a slight rustling and felt her seat belt unbuckling itself, she halted her fight, letting her world remain dark. As she felt herself being carefully lifted out the car, she was pleased with her choice.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck painstakingly carried Quinn from his truck, cursing as he realized he should have unlocked the door to the house first. If he placed Quinn down to get the door, he could wake her in either the setting down or picking up. If he tried to get the door with Quinn in his arms, though she was light, the shifting would probably wake her. Then he saw his mom shutting the door as she left for her night shift, and he quickened his pace toward her.

When his mom saw him with a sleeping girl in his arms, to say she was just surprised was an understatement. He simply shrugged and inclined his head toward the door. Shaking her head and giving him a _don't-even_ look, his mom quietly opened the door and switched on the lights.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

As she was being held in Puck's arms, Quinn suddenly sensed another presence. Her intuition was confirmed as she heard the quiet whispers around her. _That's her isn't it? Mom…_ So it was Puck's mom. Quinn stayed still and silent as she continued to listen to the hushed conversation around her.

_She's the reason isn't it? _What reason, Mom?_ The reason you started working so hard recently. _No, Mom._ Ok, Noah, but I want you to know, if she's the reason that you've changed, I don't give a damn whether or not she's Jewish – welcome any time under any circumstances. _Fine, you said any circumstances._ Yes, I did, and I have to go. _Bye, Mom._ Love you. _Love you too.

Quinn's mind was reeling as the door shut. Sure, she had noticed Puck looking more and more tired recently when she saw him at all, but she had no idea it would be connected to hard work.

Quinn snuggled herself closer to Puck's chest.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

As he ascended the stairs, Puck felt Quinn move further into his arms, and so he held her just that much tighter.

Arriving at his room, Puck labored in vain at the door, trying to open it without disturbing Quinn. When he was just about to give up and sit down at the door with her sleeping form undisturbed in his lap, Quinn's arms found their way around one of his, which enabled him to quickly shift his weight, supporting Quinn with one bicep, open the door, and revert to his original holding position.

He tenderly placed her on his bed and covered her with his plain black cotton sheets. He briefly considered joining her but decided against it. He had no clue how she would react, and the last thing he wanted was her to be mad at him. Sighing, he ran his hand through his Mohawk. It was times like these where he wished he had kept his unruly hair, just so he could pull it in frustration.

He left his room with the small couch in mind. He hadn't been able to sleep on that thing since he was ten. It was going to be a long night.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Quinn was momentarily surprised and terrified as she realized Puck was holding her up with just one arm. Then as the storm passed without as much as a raindrop, she wondered at the strength of Puck. When she felt herself being torn away from her sense of security for seemingly no reason, Quinn let out a small whimper. As she felt herself being lowered onto a soft surface however, she understood the situation. Still, she wished that she didn't need to leave his arms to get in bed, and at that thought, her conscience unexpectedly let it slide – she was having enough thoughts about Puck anyways.

As she listened to the door closing, Quinn cracked open one eye. Not seeing Puck, she tried to suppress the disappointment that he wasn't staying with her. She laid back down and stared at the ceiling. It was going to be a long night.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck couldn't sleep. His back hurt, and more than three-quarters of his legs weren't on the damn sofa. He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. Eyes searching for something quiet to do, Puck remembered Quinn's bag in his truck and left to retrieve it.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Quinn heard the front door open and close, and she imagined Puck leaving to go find Santana – a little bile rose in her mouth. He wouldn't; he couldn't. Still, she found herself uneasy with every second that went by with no Puck.

When she heard the door again and didn't sense Santana or anything else, Quinn felt slightly better and silly for overreacting. Puck wasn't hers…unfortunately.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck was freezing. The walk to his pick-up and back was brutal without his jacket. Still, he'd rather die frostbitten than have anything happen to Quinn and his baby girl.

Trying to warm his hands, Puck took in the size and weight of Quinn's bag. She had a lot of homework and definitely wasn't going to be able to finish any of it. He found some paper and a pen, bent down over the coffee table, and got to work.

Twenty minutes later, Puck leaned back against the couch, satisfied and impressed with his accomplishments. There before him was a stack of notes that could last Quinn a lifetime. On each one, he had written some sort of believable, excusable reason why Quinn's homework was unfinished. The handwriting on it of course, was adult-like beyond belief. After all, he did have all those years to perfect his mom's. The signatures he made with extra swoops but illegible all the same. The notes were great.

Placing them on the corner of the table, Puck sighed. He was still tired from all his work. He had just gotten off work and started napping when Quinn had called. Still, the manual labor of lifting tiles had paid off for his muscles.

Puck tilted his head against the couch, trying to sleep. After a good five minutes of failing, he kicked the table in anger. He was bored and tired. His homework was already haphazardly done, and the TV would be too loud and wake Quinn.

_Quinn_. There was no harm in checking on her, right? He went upstairs and quietly observed the figure on his bed. Content with the conditions of the room, he prepared to head downstairs (he wasn't going to be one of those creepy guys who stared at girls all the time while they slept) when his eyes caught sight of his guitar. Of course. He had forgotten all about it with everything going on in his life. He quickly grabbed it and started downstairs, already humming and lightly strumming.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Quinn heard the stairs creaking and gripped Puck's jacket and sheets a little firmer, a little nearer. What if it was a robber? Her poor baby…

As light filtered in from the hallway into the room though, Quinn realized that it was just Puck coming to check on her. She watched Puck through half-lidded eyes, eyes roaming over his body from head to toe. When he stopped leaning on the door frame and stepped inside the room, Quinn's hopes rose. Maybe, just maybe, he would lie next to her.

As she saw him go to his guitar though, the sentiment of discontentment flooded her system once again, only to be rapidly replaced by intrigue and desire. She wanted to hear his voice again. Last time in Glee when he sang _Sweet Caroline_, she had sat on her chair absolutely mesmerized.

The guitar and Puck's voice barely made its way to her ears, tempting her.

She made up her mind and surreptitiously made her way down the stairs, standing a couple steps from the bottom to listen.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck smiled as he played the chords and rhythm. He had missed the feeling of holding and singing with his guitar. He paused briefly, debating which song to sing and practice. He fooled around with the strings until Train's _Soul Sister_ made its way through his mind.

-----

_Heeey heeeey heeeeey___

Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains  
I knew I wouldn't forget you  
And so I went and let you blow my mind  
Your sweet moonbeam  
The smell of you in every single dream I dream  
I knew when we collided you're the one I have decided  
Who's one of my kind

Puck loved this song for Quinn. True, not all the lyrics were relatable, but the ones that were held true. For days after his night with Quinn, all he could think about was the feel of her skin, her eyes, her enticing smell.__

Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo  
The way you move ain't fair you know  
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight

Heeey heeeey heeeey

Just in time, I'm so glad you have a one track mind le me  
You gave my life direction  
A game show love connection, we can't deny  
I'm so obsessed  
My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest  
I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna  
And I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind

Both Puck and Quinn shared a smile at the Madonna line, remembering the time when Puck had to step in for Finn at a babysitting session, and Quinn ended up singing "Papa Don't Preach" to Puck's guitar.__

Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo  
The way you move ain't fair you know  
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight

Well you can cut a rug  
Watching you is the only drug I need  
So gangster, I'm so thug  
You're the only one I'm dreaming of  
You see I can be myself now finally  
In fact there's nothing I cant be  
I want the world to see you'll be with me

Quinn slowly made her way down to the last step. Puck's voice was amazing, matched flawlessly with the guitar, and the song – the song was so right.  
_  
Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo  
The way you move ain't fair you know  
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight  
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight  
Heeey heeeey heeeeey (tonight)  
Heeey heeeey heeeeey (tonight)_

-----

As Puck finished the song, his eyes, drifted to the staircase and was shocked to see Quinn standing on the last step.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

As their eyes locked, Quinn bit her lip and uttered a timid _hi_. She stood waiting for Puck to do something until a shrill scream suddenly pierced the growing silence of the house.

**AN:** If the whole PDP thing was confusing, that was the only way I could think to put it in the story since the babysitting scene hadn't


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: **blah blah. Do people even read this part? Well, just in case Ryan Murphy decides to hunt down poor creative souls, I'll state that I don't own Glee. Sadly.  
**AN**: There's a really fat squirrel outside my window right now. Just in case you wanted to know. Anyways, enjoy.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck cursed and bolted up the stairs past Quinn to his little sister's room. Calming himself at the door, Puck took a deep breath and opened her door. What he saw broke his supposedly non-existent heart. He was, once more, greeted by his little sister curled in a ball, sobbing in the middle of her bed.

He clenched his fists in anger towards his father. Puck hated that man with a burning passion. For what he did to his mom. His sister. Him.

Briefly pushing aside his fury, Puck sat down at the edge of his sister's bed, gently rubbing circles on her back in comfort.

She whimpered and cried, asking why their father had to leave them, what she did wrong. Puck fought back his urge to cry with her – he needed to stay strong for their family, needed to be the man of the household. So instead of fixing himself, he worked to fix his family. He would give his strength to his mom and sister. He would remain broken if they were fixed.

As his sister's tears subsided, she fell into a pitiful sleep once more. Puck carefully rearranged the blankets around her and stood up to leave.

He ran his hand through his Mohawk, sighing. Too often he had to spend his nights taking care of his sister, and lately, with work, the lack of sleep was wearing him down, even if he refused to admit it.

After closing his sister's door, he looked up from the ground and met Quinn's eyes, staring at him in worry from the top stair.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

When Quinn heard the shout, she froze. As Puck rushed by her, she swiveled around and followed him up the stairs. What she saw broke her supposedly ice-cold heart. There, in his little sister's room he sat, trying to comfort the shattered little girl.

She paused at the top stair, unwilling to break the brother-sister moment. She stood in silence, sadly observing the scene in front of her. She felt guilty for watching, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from them.

It was at that moment when she realized that she hadn't given Puck enough credit. No one had. He was forced to grow up faster than practically everyone around him. He was forced to take care of both his mom and sister. He was forced to step up as the man of a household. Quinn felt a tear slip down her cheek in sorrow at the thought and quickly wiped it away.

As Puck emerged from the room, Quinn took in his haggard appearance. He looked exhausted. There were bags under his eyes. His face was longer, cheeks sunken in. She took a sharp breath. How had she not noticed this before? Her conscience mocked her, reminding her that since he was still hot, that was all she noticed. Ignoring the little voice in her head, she took one step closer to Puck and opened her mouth to speak.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Noticing that she was about to talk, Puck simply shrugged his shoulders. He was tired and didn't want to talk. He knew that it was immature and selfish, but he wanted time to himself. After nights like these, he always did.

He headed back down the stairs, shoulder lightly bumping Quinn's again. He got halfway down before he heard Quinn whisper his name. He stopped. Exhaling and inhaling, he slowly turned around to face the only female who wasn't related to him that he actually cared for.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

When he turned around, Quinn took in his spiritless form. He had let down his walls and given up on his tough boy act. In front of her, all she could see was a teenager burdened with problems he didn't create. Looking so hopeless, it took everything she had to keep from embracing him.

Instead, Quinn gave him a small smile, telling him that he needed sleep. In response, she received a slight nod as Puck started to go to the couch.

Shaking her own head, Quinn knew he wasn't going to fit there, and she wanted him next to her. With that, she called to him once more, inviting him to sleep in his own bed.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck stared long and hard at Quinn as she bit her lip, shyly telling him that his bed would be the best place for him to sleep. He finally blinked, stating that she needed the bed more than him. Ready to collapse on the couch, he was halted once again when Quinn said that his bed was big enough for two.

Locking eyes, Puck changed his destination and followed Quinn back up the stairs. Under normal circumstances, perhaps he would have made some comment after checking out her ass, but he didn't have the energy left in him.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Quinn bit her lip as she silently went back to Puck's room, mulling over her thoughts. She had no clue what she had just done. Yes, she had wanted Puck's warm body next to her, even craved it, but she hadn't planned on basically telling him that she wanted something physical from him. Still, as Puck was subdued the whole way to the room, she was more worried about him than her executed own actions.

As they entered the room, the silence became uncomfortable and suffocating. Quinn's eyes wandered around the room, able to see everything in the light. It was surprisingly void of any posters and decoration. There was a simple desk, his bed, drawers, and a stack of football gear. With nothing left to survey, Quinn let her eyes wander back to Puck, and she wasn't sure how to react with what she saw.

There, in the middle of the room, Puck was stripping off his clothes. As he lifted his shirt above his head, Quinn took the opportunity to let her eyes feast on his body.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

The awkwardness of the situation was lost on Puck. The one thing in the forefront of his mind was sleep, so he started undressing himself. As he finished taking off his shirt and throwing it in a corner, he looked at Quinn, seeing her checking him out. When her eyes finally moved to meet his, he smirked.

Purposefully maintaining eye contact, Puck slowly undid the button and zipper of his jeans. He watched as she visibly gulped, her eyes traveling away from his face to the movement of his hands. As he eased himself out of his jeans, he cleared his throat, content to see Quinn blushing as she looked up.

He raised an eyebrow, staring pointedly at his jacket on her body. She sheepishly smiiled, hugging it closer to her body. Shaking his head, he walked over to his closet.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Quinn was flustered. She couldn't believe she had blatantly checked Puck out. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment. So much for Ice Queen Fabray.

When she realized that Puck wasn't staring at her chest but his jacket, Quinn gave a small smile, not wanting to let go of the letterman jacket. She was surprised when he didn't argue, simply shook his head and strolled to his closet. Once again, she caught herself following his every move with her eyes.

She had a perfect view of his back muscles at work as he picked out a blue button-up, plaid flannel shirt. As he sauntered over to his dresser and bent down, this time her eyes had a very nice sight of his ass. When Puck started to straighten, Quinn quickly averted her eyes to elsewhere. Still, with sweat pants in his hands, Puck glanced at Quinn with a knowing look in his eyes.

Blushing once more, Quinn concentrated on the clothes he offered her. He said they were clean, and they did smell like refreshing detergent. Smiling at the clothes, she followed Puck's finger which pointed her to the bathroom.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck smiled as he watched Quinn's retreating form. She had seemed so happy to be holding clothes. _Clothes_. It dawned on him that she would probably need new clothes soon, and he wondered if Finn was earning enough to buy that too.

Puck angrily kicked the foot of his bed. It didn't matter what Finn did or made. He, Noah Puckerman, was going to continue on lifting those damn tiles for money. If Finn couldn't make enough, then that was Finn's own fault. His baby mama was still going to get it all even if it killed him.

Puck went over to his dresser and pulled out is stash of money and counted. He had no clue how much clothes were for women. All he knew was that Quinn obviously was lacking a coat, and he doubted that she would accept his letterman jacket. Running his hand through his hair, Puck stood and looked out the window of his room. Maybe she would accept some of his hoodies. They were pretty thick and warm. He sighed and turned away from his dresser and window only to be met with the sight of Quinn in the doorway, eyes open wide and mouth parted.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Quinn returned from the bathroom extremely content. Mrs. Hudson was great, but her clothes were uncomfortable and too loose. Puck's, on the other hand, were still loose, but really comfortable. As she came back from her thoughts, Quinn could barely breathe. Puck was in front of his drawer counting a lot of money. When she finally shook herself out of her stupor, Puck's eyes were on her.

She feebly raised her arm, pointing to where the money was stored, trying to form words. Puck shrugged, telling her it was only seven thousand and that his next seven hundred bucks were coming tomorrow. She stared at Puck incredulously._ Seven thousand dollars?!_ Finn hadn't even made a hundred. She shook her head and started crying. She didn't deserve either of them.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

As Quinn began crying, Puck gave a soft sigh. Dealing with two crying girls in one day was almost too much. Still, he went over and wrapped his arms around her small frame. She looked gorgeous in his oversized shirt and sweat pants. As she leaned into his bare chest, sobbing, Puck just held her tight.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

When she regained control of her emotions, Quinn reluctantly withdrew herself from Puck's grip. She wiped the tears from Puck's chest, stumbling over her _I'm Sorry_'s.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

Puck shivered as Quinn's hands brushed his chest. He was pretty sure that he'd rather have a soaked chest than what she was making him feel right now. The images of that fateful night flashed through his mind at record pace.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

As if realizing what exactly she was doing, Quinn dropped her head and stared at her shoes. She hadn't actually comprehended her movements, but now that she did…

She was brought out of her thoughts as Puck quietly offered her the money for clothes. She was grateful for his charity since she needed clothes, but she recognized the fact that the doctor's bills had to be paid first. As if sensing her dilemma, Puck swiftly added that the money was all hers to spend however she wanted.

She felt even guiltier for how she treated him as he offered up some of his own sweatshirts for her use. Falling back into his embrace, she hugged him tightly, crying and repeating her thanks and regret.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-

With Quinn breaking down in front of him for the second time in ten minutes, Puck was drained even further. Leading Quinn to his bed, he stroked the back of her head, and gently untangled himself from her. Puck guided the bawling girl under the covers, following her lead as he turned off the lights.

In the dark, he could still hear Quinn sniffling and was greatly surprised when he felt her press against him. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her in place.

Puck knew that the day was greatly different than the night. In the morning, she would probably run back to Finn's arms, pretending tonight hadn't happened. Maybe she would take some of his clothes, maybe she wouldn't. Still, as he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but hope that tomorrow would bring a new day, a new beginning.

-PQ-PQ-PQ-  
-PQ-PQ-PQ-

What Puck didn't realize was that the clock had already turned past midnight a while back. The new day had already arrived.

Outside, the red of a traffic light changed to a neon green.

_El fin._

**AN:** Hope you liked it. **Review please!**


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